How can loud noise damage hearing?
Understanding how we hear will help you to understand how loud noise can hurt your hearing. One of the most common bad effects of loud noise on hearing is a permanent hearing loss. This happens in the following way: • The loud sound is collected by the ear as sound waves. The sound waves travel down the ear canal toward the eardrum with enough force to disrupt the delicate hearing system. If the sound is loud enough, it can dislodge the tiny bones of the middle ear. • The loud sound passes through the middle ear and travels to the inner ear, also known as the cochlea. The tiny hair cells lining this fluid-filled chamber can be damaged as the loud sound reaches the inner ear. • Only healthy hair cells can send electrical impulses to the brain. It is in the brain that the sound is understood and interpreted. Hair cells damaged by loud sound cannot send the impulse to the brain for interpretation. • Intense brief noises, like a firecracker or an explosion, can damage hair cells, as can co
